Original Source | The Oregonian
By Bill Graves, Tuesday May 10, 2011

Bruce Ely / The Oregonian

Gov. John Kitzhaber visits with Nigel Wehling at Helen Gordon Child Development Center. His reform plan in Senate Bill 909, would make preschool part of a single education system extending through college and graduate school.

Original Source | Portland Tribune
Thursday April 14, 2011

Gov. John Kitzhaber's sweeping notion to reshape Oregon's multi-layered public education system into a single education department covering preschool to graduate school is what we wanted from this governor: bold leadership and novel ideas, without fear of having to please everyone to get re-elected.

Kitzhaber proposes replacing the multiple silos of public education with a single, 13-person education investment board that the governor would appoint and lead. Kitzhaber argues that Oregon's current public education system wrongly rewards school districts, community colleges and state universities more for how many students they enroll, not how well students are taught or how many graduate.

Original Source | The Oregonian
By Jeff Mapes, Tuesday April 12, 2011

SALEM -- The Oregon Senate demonstrated its willingness to make tough spending decisions Tuesday by unanimously passing a two-year $5.7 billion budget for public schools that could force higher class sizes and shorter academic years in many districts.

The 30-0 vote showed the strong support among lawmakers of both parties for moving forward on a no-frills state budget that largely holds the line on spending and will also lead to cuts in other public services, from closing youth prison beds to eliminating some medical services for the poor.

Original Source | The Oregonian
By Harry Esteve, Tuesday April 5, 2011

SALEM -- Gov. John Kitzhaber leads a full-court press today for what he considers to be the centerpiece of his education reform plan -- a single board that would help set the budgets for pre-kindergarten programs to universities and everything in between.

At a news conference, he surrounded himself with every top education official in the state to tout his bill that would establish the Oregon Education Investment Board. The board would replace the state boards of education and higher education, and would oversee spending on all facets of learning.